Two things have been clear about the offseason so far: the Boston Red Sox have wanted pitching and at least one power bat.

Craig Breslow said as much recently while speaking at the general manager meetings. Since then, the Red Sox have already struck in the pitching market by acquiring Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals.

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There have been three sluggers primarily linked to Boston this offseason as well: Alex Bregman, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso. Other names have been brought up, but these three are the guys to watch right now. Bregman shined with Boston in 2025. Schwarber has experience playing in Boston and manager Alex Cora has spoken highly of him. Alonso has a prolific bat that would fit right in at Fenway Park.

Does Boston have a move up its sleeve for the middle of the order?

Of these three, it sounds like Schwarber could be the most difficult to sign. The reason for this is that ESPN’s Jeff Passan said that the Philadelphia Phillies remain the favorites to retain his services, although he did list Boston as another team in the mix.

“Kyle Schwarber: The bellwether of the class,” Passan wrote on Threads. “Schwarber’s market is healthy. He’s going to get years, and he’s going to get AAV, and at this point, he might be the likeliest of the big free agents to sign first. Unclear if something gets done before the meetings, but I’d be surprised if they end and he doesn’t have a team. The Phillies remain the favorite, with Boston, Cincinnati, the Mets, and others in the mix.”

This aligns with what Phillies insider Todd Zolecki of MLB.com recently said about Schwarber as well.

“The Phils have prioritized re-signing free agents Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto,” Zolecki wrote on Nov. 25. “The club and Schwarber are not close to a deal, according to sources. It isn’t a surprise at this time of year. Schwarber’s agents want to capitalize on his monstrous 2025 season in which he finished second for NL MVP behind Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. There’s no reason to rush it. But the lack of progress can be frustrating, while others wonder how long the Phils can wait.

“The feeling here is that Schwarber will remain in Philadelphia. This feels somewhat similar to Realmuto’s free agency in 2020-21. Realmuto’s agency at one point asked for more than $200 million, creating some level of pessimism inside the organization.”

While adding a piece like Schwarber would be great, the perception out there right now seems to indicate a new deal with Philadelphia as more likely.

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